People in the neighbourhood in Maghbazar used to know Mohammad Edris as a drug addict and dreaded him for his looks and behaviour. His seemingly unstoppable addiction to heroin, phensidyle and Pathedrine took away almost everything that he possessed.

That was Edris seven years ago. Now Edris is respected by all who know him for he has used his will power to return to a normal life and successfully running a business of accessories for cars at the intersection of Panthapath and Tongi Diversion Road in the city.

"I was on the brink of death. Those days of addiction were terrible for my family, my neighbours, and me, but after I started discovering my inner strength, the creator saved me from the deadly clutch of drug addiction," said a self-confident and well-established businessman Edris. "Now I am a free and happy family man."

Before Edris was hooked on drugs, his family had a transport business and he had a garment business of his own. He lost it all after getting addicted to Pathedrine, Phensidyl and Heroin.

In 1995, he started a garment business in partnership. His new business partners, who were addicted to the drug themselves, introduced Edris to Phensidyl. Within a short time, the business partners cheated Edris and a frustrated Edris became totally dependent on drugs.

"I started with little, but in course of time I started taking at least 35 to 40 Pathedrine shots, several bottles of Phensidyl and huge quantities of Heroin on a daily basis," he said. "The drugs damaged my health so severely that internal bleeding become a regular phenomenon in my life."

"My family confined me to the house or to police custody several times. They even took me to hospitals three times for treatment, but nothing could help me overcome the addiction. I became a monster in the world of addiction," he said.

He made promises several times touching his mother and his wife that he would not take drug, but failed to keep the promise.

One day in the year 2000 the miracle happened in the life of this confused young man. His 7-year-old son Imran made a shocking request to him. After little Imran found his father taking Heroin, he asked his father to let him have some of the drugs too.

"I was taking Heroin in the bathroom and my elder son Imran discovered me there. He requested me to share it with him. It was a shocking request. I couldn't stop taking Heroin right away, but the next day I gave up drugs. I did not look back ever since. I don not know why, but something happened inside me after that incident," he said.

Edris then started an automobile sticker and parts business without having any capital. His innovative ideas and hard labour made him successful in the business. He now owns three shops and workshops where at least 15 workers are employed.

His wife Rosy Begum said to Star City, "It's a story of hate, oppression and harassment for me and although there was no ray of hope, I survived with my firm belief that some day I would find him by my side."

Edris was so out of control that he even beat up his mother and his wife and snatched their gold ornaments.

On several occasions, Rosy's parents advised her to leave Edris. Despite poverty, negligence, physical assault and humiliation by neighbours, Rosy refused to leave her husband

She said there had been days when she had to pick up intoxicated Edris lying almost unconscious in sewerage or at filthy places in slums. His old friends left him after he got addicted, but he made new addict friends. His new friends turned out to be an obstacle in his struggle to give up drugs and they even threatened him not to leave their circle of drug abusers.

"We left behind those dark days and now I got him beside me as I always dreamt of," Rosy said.

Dr Sarder Faruque, a medicine specialist and a drug abuse specialist trained by World Health Organisation, told Star City that Edris' case is an example of overcoming high level of drug abuse through the patient's strong willpower.